Falling Stars, an Avengers + Guardians of the Galaxy Crossover fanfic

And here we are! The next piece in this series of AUs. I have to admit this isn't exactly my favorite. I didn't really have that many ideas for this particular story, very little beyond the basics, but at the same time I really wanted to write it, so I hope you'll enjoy it anyway.

So... I don't like calling it a Warning, but for the sake of some people who might be offended otherwise I'll do so: WARNING for Lady Loki... I've done it before, shown her and implied some things, but here it'll be explicitly stated that Loki takes female form and in that form continues the match with Nightingale. Some might call Nightingale bisexual or pansexual do to this; personally, I see it as Nightingale and Loki being soulmates, their love goes beyond what form their bodies might have (as was shown in Infinite Starlight, during the second to last chapter, where several of Rose Alfdis's incarnations were described, and her match, the gender, race, etc. doesn't matter, they'll always be a match).

Basically this story came from the idea: What if, when Nightingale told Gamora to take her voice, Thanos's daughter had made a different call? What if Nightingale's devotion to her match had pushed her into making a particular choice of hers earlier, how much would she, would all of them together have changed in the long run?

Also, Lady Loki will be singing! Hope you'll enjoy it, from the moment I first heard that particular song I knew she'd have to be the one to sing it.

Songs in this piece: "Safe and Sound" as sung by Jackie Evancho (yes, the original isn't hers, but I like her version better, and it fits Nightingale more), "Stay Alive" by Hidden Citizens (feat REMMI), the Ballyeamon Craddle Song (no particular singer for this one), and Eurielle's "City of the Dead".

Dreamcast: Emily Browning as Nightingale, Eva Green as Lady Loki/Lux, Katie McGrath as Helena.

Falling Stars

(Alternative Universe to Nightingale)

By: Lalaith Quetzalli

They were like the stars, burning hot and shining bright, and like with stars, there was a lot more to them than what the naked eyed could see. Wandering artists, unbeatable warriors, valiant protectors, they were whatever they chose to be, and there was only one thing they'd never be (never again): victims…

Sometimes it's not about right or wrong, good or evil, it's about survival.

xXx 3rd Person POV xXx

When word reached Earth that Thanos, the Mad Titan, was dead, no one knew quite what to do. Granted, to most people such news wouldn't have really meant anything, but there were those who did know what that name meant, and it wasn't anything good. The idea that the creature was dead, that it'd never threaten Earth again… it was mind boggling.

It had all started back in 2011, when Thor had fallen out of the sky (quite literally) into a small town in the middle of the desert in New Mexico. Thor there had met the woman who'd come to be the love of his life: Dr. Jane Foster (who'd one day become Jane Svanhvit, wife of Thor, Goddess of Science and Queen of Asgard), as well as people he considered dear friends, like Erik Selvig (who'd die later on, trying to stop the first alien invasion) and Darcy Lewis (later on Darcy Stark-Coulson, adopted daughter of Tony Stark, wife of Phil Coulson, Wallflower of the Mutants and Lady Shadow of SHIELD). Thor forged important bonds with them, fought and bled and sacrificed to earn his own power and status as an Aesir back, and then returned to Asgard to make things right. And while on some accounts he succeeded… on others he failed, terribly. For that was also when his little brother died… worse than that, when he gave up, letting go of the staff holding him up, while off the edge of the rainbow bridge.

Thor didn't understand it at first, not for a good while. Until after one too many times he sought the guidance of those closest to him. Darcy and Jane sat him down and made him retell all that had transpired after his leaving Earth with his friends. Jane teared up, but Darcy certainly had something to say about it:

"That bastard!" She hissed, clearly furious.

"Lady Darcy…" Thor began, voice weak after the nightmare and the re-telling.

"Not your brother, big guy. Actually I think your brother might be the most innocent in this."

"Darcy…" Jane began, in a tone that showed exactly what she was thinking.

"Okay, not innocent, not quite." Darcy admitted. "He did a lot wrong, what with big, metal and murder-y. What the hell was that about anyway?" She shook her head in dismissal. "But still. It's quite clear to me that, insane as some of his actions might have been, all your brother wanted was… well, to be accepted. For your father to accept him. Those words he said at the end, about how he could have done it… he clearly felt inferior to you. I know it, I've been there. With the parents who never wanted me, being a mutant with a power that seemed so… pointless, until Strange showed us that there was more to it and we simply hadn't noticed it. All Loki wanted was to be… well, essentially you. And when he was at his most vulnerable, at his most fragile… your father went and told him no. That goes beyond being a bastard, that's…" She clearly had trouble finding the right words: "That's being a grade 1 asshole!"

"Lady Darcy!" Thor was absolutely scandalized.

"Thor…" Jane cut him off quietly. "I know you love your father, and I might not be the best person to say anything because… well, he doesn't really like me, and he's never liked me. He never liked the idea of you marrying a human. But believe me when I tell you that what he did with Loki… it wasn't right. No, Loki was no innocent. I hate a lot of what he did, all the ways he hurt you. But that was no reason for your father to do what he did. To take away his last hope like that… it's, well, it's really no wonder Loki chose to let go after that."

"I don't understand."

"Tell me something Thor, who did Loki really have? In Asgard. Aside from you, I mean." Jane asked him next.

"Not your warrior friends." Darcy scoffed. "By the way they speak of him, it's clear they always hated him."

"Mother, mother always loved, was always there for him."

"But with your dad in that sleep she probably hadn't been as much there for him as she would have been normally." Jane offered easily.

Thor nodded, admitting that must be true.

"He… he had a friend." Thor added then. "The Lady Nightingale. I never met her. My brother never introduced us. Tried looking for her after he… fell. But I could never find anyone who responded to that name, or even as a title. Not on Asgard, Vanaheim, even in Alfheim. All the elves told me was that there had only ever been one Nightingale, and that she died a long time ago, centuries. So…"

"So your brother was alone, lost, trying to do a job he was never trained for, being betrayed by everyone who should have followed his orders because he was technically the king in that moment. And the one person who'd always supported him was busy looking over her husband. And the other person we've no idea at all… and then he probably had some sort of mental breakdown, finding out he was adopted, you fought, almost killed each other…" Darcy broke off, not really daring to finish the thought.

"Tell me one thing Thor." Jane added, very quietly. "If we ever have children, sons. Would you treat one of them as less, simply for being the second born. Or, what if we adopt someone one day? I always thought I'd adopt a little girl one day, if only because I never thought I'd get to have children of our own. But tell me, should that girl be less simply because she's not of our blood, of your blood?"

"Of course not! Any children that could bear our name would be ours, regardless of blood." Thor replied immediately.

"Then why did your father treat Loki as less?" Jane asked in return. "When he kept the adoption a secret all that made Loki different was being younger than you. And when it was revealed, well, the difference was his blood. And if none of those was a problem, then the problem was the way your father treated him."

"It's not just about what happened on that bridge, big guy." Darcy explained. "That just seems like an explosion that was a very long time coming. Your father had set Loki up for failure from the start, it was just a matter of time."

"I know it's bad to talk ill of the dead and all that." Jane added. "The Allfather died defending Asgard from Malekith and his forces, and that's honorable."

"We're not making less of him as a King and as a warrior." Darcy added. "We just don't think he was that great a father."

It took a while for Thor to admit it, but in the end he knew they were right. And it wasn't even just his brother. The way the Allfather had treated him hadn't done him any favors. Thor was sure that if it hadn't been for Jane, and his mother's guiding hand Thor would have made a mess of his Kingship on the first year alone. Thor had thought he was so ready to be King… truth was, he hadn't even understood what being King was about, not really, and by the time he did understand. He'd have preferred to never take the throne, would have chosen to walk away and live among humans, with his beloved. But that hadn't been possible. Odin had died in battle against the Dark-Elves, and Asgard couldn't be shown to be weak. Especially considering the King died in a battle he'd stated to hell and back would never happen, because Malekith and his ilk were gone… destroyed by his own father. Asgard might have chosen to push aside that fact in the face of the King's passing and the victory in battle… but they couldn't allow any vulnerability to show.

Thor had no idea how he could have ever done it without his Jane. The way she stood by him, her hand in his, willing to forsake everything and everyone she knew and take on the duty to help him guide his people… She could have walked away, she didn't owe him, or Asgard anything; especially considering how little support anyone in the Realm Eternal had shown her. But she loved him enough to stand by him. He could have never loved anyone more.

That conversation, less than a year following their coronation had helped put some ghosts to rest. In a way nothing else had.

In any case, 2011 had only been the start of it. Two years later, in 2013 a chaos portal had opened in the sky, over North America, an alien army (chitauri, they eventually discovered they were called) pouring out and onto Earth in an attempt to conquer it. Heroes gathered together, forming teams to fight back the enemy army; the X-Men, the Justice League, the Avengers, and a few other, smaller groups. A war that seemed to have no end, no possibility of victory, until the portal collapsed upon itself: thanks to the work of Jane Foster, and none other than Lady Hel: Queen of Helheim (and unknown to most, Helena Lokidottir, Loki's only child).

Thor was technically an Avenger, even if he couldn't really do much since becoming King in the aftermath of the Convergence and the confrontation with Malekith and his Svartalfar, in 2015. He did keep up with the happenings on Midgard/Earth, mostly thanks to calls from Darcy and her match: Philip Coulson, the Director of SHIELD since Fury's not-so-voluntary retirement (he'd faked his death in 2016, when HYDRA revealed itself inside SHIELD, and while it was later revealed he was alive, he and his partner: Agent Kathryn Adler, the Sphinx, chose to remain as independent assets, rather than return to the organization).

In 2017 things had gotten beyond insane, what with Von Strucker, Ultron, and then when Helena decided that the only way to effectively fight the creature was by finishing what it had begun and bringing an android to life; except that instead of allowing Ultron to infiltrate its own conscience, she put an actual soul into the construct. And thus Vision came into being:

"How the hell is this even possible?" Tony Stark demanded, in the aftermath of the battle in Novi Grad, Sokovia.

Everyone was so thankful to Helena, especially Wanda, after the lady had saved Pietro (her twin brother)'s life. No one dared question the choices made by her… except for Tony, who didn't care about any titles, any lineage he might have, and it wasn't even because he didn't want Vision to exist, or thought there was anything wrong with him (he'd been aghast by how the construct had apparently also taken what was left of JARVIS… until Darcy dropped by to reveal her own contingency and how JARVIS would soon be up and running again); in the end Tony was simply curious, as always.

"You said she was Queen of Death, not of Life!" Spider-Man added, looking more than a little perturbed by the whole thing.

"I am Queen of the Dead, not of Death, it's not the same thing." Helena pointed out. "And it's a bit more complicated than even that. My history is one that no one remembers anymore. Not even in Asgard, though I was once their princess."

"You're Lokidottir." Thor interjected. "I remember that much."

"Yes, but do you remember my name?" She asked in return. "I mean my real name, not what history, in both realms, has chosen to call me. Hel is what I'm known as, but that's not the name my parents gave me."

"What is your name?" Darcy inquired, curious as to how that might truly matter.

"Helena." The woman answered promptly. "The light of my parents' lives… at least that's what Mama used to say..."

"I don't remember her." Thor admitted quietly. "I remember you being Loki's daughter, but I don't remember him ever having a wife, or even a lover."

"Oh she was a wife, she was his match." Helena pointed out proudly. "And no, you don't remember her. No one does, not anymore."

"Why?" Jane pressed, confused.

"That's a very long story, and not really mine to tell." Helena shook her head. "The point I was trying to make is that I am Helena Lokidottir, Goddess of Grief and Hope, princess of Asgard and Alfheim, Queen of Helheim. Lady of the Dead… Helheim is a realm of spirits, of the dead and I guard and rule over them. Most are the spirits of those who die and haven't yet decided whether to move on to the Other Side, or to begin a new life, in any of the Realms."

"Reincarnation?" Sharon Carter (Agent 13 of SHIELD, as well as Steve Roger's girlfriend) asked, intrigued.

"You said most." Coulson pointed out, not missing anything.

"I did say that." She nodded. "There is another group. I call them the Innocents. They are those who either died very young or weren't actually born. Their souls exist, but they didn't leave any mark on the world, nor did the world leave a mark on them. They haven't really lived, and thus they cannot cross into the Other Side, but for some reason it's not as easy for them to be reborn either. I think it's because those who've lived and died, they've done what they wanted and needed to, and they're ready to become blank slates, to start over. The Innocents… their souls took form, but they never had the chance to do anything with that; there's so much potential in them, it's harder to know the right time to send them. Mostly it ends up being their own choice."

"Is that possible?" Darcy was in awe.

"It is." Helena nodded. "Like I said, with normal souls it's not an issue. They're just fine starting over. But with the Innocents. It's easier if it's their choice."

"The soul in Vision is one of them, isn't it?" Wanda asked abruptly.

"Yes." Helena nodded.

She said nothing more, leaving them to their thoughts and was about to fully leave when Thor approached her, asking for a word. Jane followed them, having an idea of what it was Thor wanted, though she didn't interfere, instead just offering silent support. She knew it wouldn't be an easy topic of conversation, not for either of them. They left the sitting room in Stark Tower, walking out to the viewing deck for the closest thing they could get to privacy.

"I know I may not have the right to ask this, Lady Helena." Thor told her quietly. "But tell me. Is my brother alright? Is he at peace? Whether in your realm, back among the living or… or on the Other Side? Is he well?"

"I wouldn't know." The Lady of the Dead answered in an even tone.

"But…" Thor couldn't understand.

"How is that possible?" Jane inquired, as confused as her husband.

Helena observed them for a moment, as if wondering whether she should answer, though eventually she did:

"My father has not been by my domain, because he hasn't died."

And with just those few words, she threw Thor's world out of its axis.

Nothing had been done about that particular revelation (not like they'd shared the information with anyone, really). It's not like anything could be done, objectively speaking. Even if Loki was alive (and they had no reason to believe Helena was lying, or wrong somehow), it's not like they had the first idea of where he might be. The universe was so big, and both Thor and Jane had duties in Asgard, and even in Midgard sometimes. They couldn't go looking for him, and didn't dare try and send someone else, for fear it might make things worse somehow. So, in the end, all they could do was wait. Let things be as they were meant to be…

Which was essentially how they ended where they were in that moment. Which translated as somewhere in the north of Arizona, where an honest-to-god space-ship had practically crash-landed less than an hour earlier. There had been what, in SHIELD speak, pretty much amounted to a call-to-arms. It was how Captain America, Iron-Man, Spider-Man, Vision, the Maximoff twins, Dr. Banner, Director Coulson, 'Lady Shadow' and Quake had come to be gathered less than half a mile from the structure in question, arguing the best way to approach it.

Tony, of course, was all for blowing the thing up to kingdom come, while Vision was curious about who might be in it, the others were mostly divided. And then a certain twin went and decided to do away with the whole argument and dashed straight to the ship.

"Pietro?!" Scarlet Witch practically shrieked in horror.

She was all for hurrying after him, but Vision wouldn't let her. Almost five whole minutes passed and everyone was about to go in fighting, when a figure stepped out of the half-collapsed door to the space-ship.

"Really, is this the kind of hospitality we can expect from this planet?" A male voice called. "I swear things used to be better before I left."

"How would you know?" Someone from behind him asked. "You were a kid when you left, and it's not like you ever invited anyone into your home!"

Someone else snorted, and finally they came into view: at the front of the group was a man, two or three inches past the six foot mark, tanned skin, light brown hair, green eyes, dressed in dark jeans, gray t-shirt, and red leather jacket. On his left was a man with leathery-skin and a lot of scars on his top half, shirtless, wearing dark pants. And on his left, well, the biggest shock was perhaps the talking raccoon walking on two feet, he was actually the one to make fun of the first man's words! And of course, there was also the talking tree following behind them.

"Now, are we going to talk things out, or will we have to fight, again?" The first man asked, turning abruptly serious as he stared at the humans.

"Who are you?" Coulson asked, hand still on his gun, but not quite pointing it at anyone.

"Where's my brother?!" Wanda demanded practically at the same time.

"He's still inside, chatting with the girls, he's just fine." The raccoon said, in a somewhat dismissive tone.

"I am Peter Quill, also known as Star-Lord, Captain of the Milano, and leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy." The man introduced himself proudly. "My team: Drax, Rocket, Groot. And..." He turned to look over his shoulder: "Are you three coming out any time soon?"

The men had just finished descending the ramp, when three females exited the ship, Pietro running right past them and to his sister's side; who immediately began fussing over him, even though he repeatedly told her under his breath he was just fine. On the left, the most odd-looking was a green-skinned, pink-haired, woman dressed all in leather: sleeveless top, pants, boots, ¾ sleeved jacket and arm-guards. In the middle, the most arresting, was the tallest of all three women: with alabaster skin, raven-black hair almost to her waist, in a dark-leather battle dress, pants, boots and golden armor. The last one was the shortest of all three, with skin the palest pink, hazel eyes, auburn hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, wearing a short-sleeved, floor-length battle dress with a slit down the front; short-shorts, knee-high boots, long-sleeved under-tunic underneath and fingerless gloves, all in shades of purple.

"And those are Gamora, Lux and Eos." Quill finished. "They're Guardians, and also well known in other parts as the Falling Stars."

"The Falling Stars?" Captain Rogers inquired, confused.

"They're artists!" Pietro intervened, brightly. "I saw holographs. Actual holographic pictures and videos! They were totally awesome!"

"Artists…?" Stark inquired, eyebrow arched.

"Hey! Don't look at me." Gamora raised her arms. "That's all them. They like the singing and dancing, I mostly stay backstage and coordinate things."

And assassinated their enemies… they were a multi-tasking team.

"How do we know you're not working with the Mad Titan?" Coulson wanted to know.

They were all on high alert, had been ever since the Queen Mother, Lady Frigg of Asgard had confirmed that Thanos existed and sought the Infinity Stones. Two of which were in Asgard, under heavy guard, while the other was held by the leader of one of the magical groups on Earth: Dr. Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme (who was also Helena's lover).

Drax's growl was audible to everyone, and they could also see the way all the Guardian's posture changed, the tension in every line of their bodies.

"We would never work with that monster." Quill snapped vehemently.

"We offed the bastard!" Rocket added for good measure.

"What?!" The shock was obvious.

That was how the humans learned that the greatest threat their planet had ever (and would ever) be under… was already dead.

"How is that possible?" Darcy blurted out in shock.

"We were lead to believe that Thanos was not an enemy that could be easily defeated." Coulson added for good measure.

"He wasn't." Quill admitted grimly. "We lost two of our own… Nebula and Yondu…" His voice broke briefly at the memory of those losses. "But we aren't called Guardians of the Galaxy for nothing. We've earned that name."

It was almost funny, because it was one of their enemies that had first given them that name. The very first enemy they faced as a team: Ronan, the Acuser. He'd meant it as an insult, of course, mocking them for their inability to defeat him, to protect Xandar, much less the rest of the galaxy. Except they had defeated him, they'd claimed the Infinity Stone inside the Orb, defeated him, protected Xandar… and later on they'd had gone on to do that time and time again. Until they eventually went against Thanos himself!

"Why go against Thanos?" Rogers inquired, intrigued.

"Because he was a monster, and would have destroyed our galaxy, and yours, if someone didn't stop him." Gamora answered evenly. "He would have gone through every system, laying waste to planets, destroying civilizations, annihilating entire species. I know because that's exactly what he did with my own people, and Nebula's."

"I have a feeling we're missing something." Stark stated abruptly. "Does anyone else get the feeling we're missing something?"

"I get the feeling we're missing a lot of somethings…" Darcy muttered under her breath.

"I am Director Coulson of SHIELD." The man in question finally introduced himself. "I would very much like to hear your story, if you're willing to tell it."

"It's a long story." Quill warned them.

"We've time." Phil insisted.

"I'm curious about one thing." Daisy said unexpectedly. "Why are you here? It cannot have just been to let us know Thanos is dead."

Star-Lord turned briefly to look at two of the ladies, but said nothing before facing the Terrans again and addressing the young Queen of the Inhumans (even if he didn't know that yet).

"Some of us wanted to see the place." He said in an almost dismissive tone. "I come from this planet, you know? Well, my birth-father was very much an alien, but my mom was human. I lived here until I was taken by the Ravagers when I was eight. That was back in…" he pondered a bit before adding: "1988, I think."

Just that was enough to tell the Avengers and agents that things were going to get really complicated… even then, they could have never imagined just how much…

xXx Nightingale's POV xXx

Life was never what one would call easy, for me. Mother dead by the time I was three (cancer) father working almost all the time, raised by an aunt who'd worked for the government for fifteen years doing the kind of things one didn't talk about, and being a cancer victim myself (though I went into remission when I was nine). And then I met Loki…

It'd be hard to explain our relationship to someone who didn't know us, who didn't understand what it meant to be a match. We met when I was eleven-years-old, he stepped out of the shadow paths and straight into my garden, somehow failing to sense me beforehand. He used his magic, to make himself look like a thirteen-year-old boy, but the moment I looked into his eyes I knew that was a lie. He gave me a fake name too, Luka Hvedrungr, and I researched enough to discover the truth all on my own. If anyone were to ever ask me how I thought he could possibly be a Norse god when such weren't supposed to even exist, I wouldn't be able to explain my logic, I only knew it to be true.

We became friends right away, even if we only met sporadically. He gifted me the black-jade dizi I treasured, for the most basic sounds it produced were so much like the singing of my favorite birds: the nightingales. He was also the one who gave me the name I'd eventually make my own: Nightingale.

At fourteen the cancer returned, worse than ever, I was given three months to live. In response Loki created a set of bracelets that until then had only existed in fiction: the deamarkonian. With those on our life-forces were connected. Since he was evidently stronger than me, I'd draw on his force, which in turn fought back the cancer. All in all, it allowed me to live like someone in remision, or who'd been cured, even though I was still very much sick.

Having been home-schooled my whole life until that point, it was then that I went for the first time. To Norwich University. By sixteen I'd finished three undergrad majors, and three years later I was receiving my graduate degrees in Mythology, Literature and History. That was the summer that everything changed.

If one were to ask me when I fell in love with Loki, it would be impossible for me to tell. The best I'd be able to do is say I always loved him, from the moment I met him. He quickly became my best friend, almost family, then as I grew, as I changed and both my mind and my heart began understanding the different ways love could manifest, my love for him shifted. It's not like what I was feeling before disappeared, more like… new layers were added. He was still my friend, he'd never stop being that, but he came to be my confidante, and eventually the man I wanted by my side the rest of my life, as my partner, in any way I could have him. It wasn't even about anything sexual, not that I wasn't attracted to him, but it was beyond all that, the love took precedence above anything and everything and I knew, even before any mention of 'matches' had been made, that that was how it was supposed to be.

The summer when I was nineteen, something big happened in Asgard. I knew Loki was involved. He'd warned me about a plan he had to derail his brother's coronation, he knew Thor just wasn't ready to be King. I wasn't sure how good an idea it all might be, but did my best to support him anyway. It was all I could do. Then a week passed, and he failed to return; a week that became two, then three, then a month. Then when he finally made an appearance he was so badly hurt I almost had a panic attack just looking at him. Yet I knew I couldn't surrender to my horror and fear, so instead I did my best to help him. Thankfully I had the means: vials filled with healing powder Loki himself had arranged for me, to be used in case of an emergency. I did my best to help him and then laid down by his side, to rest.

The last thing I could have ever expected was to wake up just a few hours later to a number of creatures dropping out of a black hole and straight into my room! They pulled Loki out of my bed and threw him straight into that same hole they'd stepped out from. I didn't even get the chance to scream before they did the same to me.

What followed was the worst year of my existence (and the only reason I know how long it was, was because someone else told me). Thanos the Mad Titan was the kind of being I never, not even in my worst nightmares, imagined could exist; even knowing that supernatural beings, even pseudo-gods, definitely existed. He wanted Loki and had come to realize that I was his pressure point. So he'd use me, torture me, in order to get his compliance. It didn't matter how hard I tried not to cry, not to scream, I always ended up failing; and somehow I could almost believe that the tears in my love, his absolute despair as he yelled at Thanos to stop, hurt me more than the damage Thanos and his lieutenants caused me.

Only two people took any pity on me, on us. Gamora… she hated what happened to me, so much she did her best to convince Thanos to let me go, or at least have someone see to my wounds so they wouldn't end up killing me (that was most of the time either her or Loki). And then there was Nebula… at first I hated her, the way she seemed to get some perverse pleasure from dealing torture to my love, and especially to me. Until I realized that the things she did to me, while they were awful and certainly made me scream, they healed faster and more easily than any other. She understood how to hurt me without the damage being permanent, and making it seem worse than it actually was. I eventually came to understand that it was because she'd been in my place.

It was ironic, and very very sad; because Thanos called both of them his daughters, claimed to care for them like he did for no other, not even the best of his lieutenants, yet he would so easily deal violence to them. Really, at times he treated them no better than me; and he'd no use for me except as a tool to control my Maverick.

Eventually things got to bad that I came to an insane conclusion: I couldn't let my love hurt anymore. It's not like I was in any position to free either of us, to fight back, but I would do my very best to lessen his own reaction to my torture. I tried to hold back my cries, and when that proved impossible by will alone, I decided something a little more extreme would need to be done. It was then that I decided that if my voice was the problem, then it'd have to go.

"You want me to what?!" I could practically sense the horror in Gamora as I told her exactly what I wanted her to do.

"The next time Thanos sends you to me, I want you to use one of your blades on my neck." I repeated in my most even tone.

"I cannot kill you! He'd do worse than kill me!" She snapped.

"I know, that's not what I'm asking." I raised a trembling hand, tracing the precise spot on my neck. "Here. If you stab deep but without slashing to either side the cut will not kill me, it won't even make me bleed that much." I took a deep breath, finishing before she could even begin to ask what the point was then. "But it will destroy my vocal chords."

"You want me to render you mute?!"

"It's the only way." I loved my voice, of course I did, singing was what I loved most in the universe (Loki was Who I loved most in the universe); but I simply couldn't let Thanos continue using that to hurt him.

She came after me that very night, but the surprise was on me. Not only she didn't do as I had requested, she got me out. My love too. We fled together that night. On the run through the vastness of space… like falling stars…

At first all we did was run, or fly, as the case might be. We hopped from planet to planet, never staying too long in any particular place. Also, we knew that even if Thanos did not know Gamora had helped us, or didn't expect her to stay with us, he'd still be looking for a couple, so Loki used his shape-shifter powers to change himself into a female, taking the name Lux, in honor of one we both loved dearly: the light of our lives, our daughter: Helena.

One thing no one knew, except Loki was that, for all intents and purposes, I died. It was not even a week before our escape. Thanos had a new lieutenant, I thought the others might have called him Supergiant… he was certainly huge. Thanos sent him to deal with my torture that day, Nebula tagging along to keep watch. However, instead of keeping him under control, she mocked him and provoked him until he, well… he pretty much killed me. I didn't understand it then, not until much later, but Nebula saw it as having mercy on me, doing me a favor, she gave me an out. Knowing that I'd take my love with me (they knew we were bound, even if no one knew the particulars, or that the bond could be severed).

It would have been so easy. I was standing on the metaphorical edge of a knife and I could have just let go… except I didn't. It wasn't because of my Maverick, because bound as we were, my death would have meant his, and that point it would have meant freedom for us both. And yet… it wasn't that easy. It was about more than just us. Because I knew that Thanos's intentions weren't benign, not in any way. Sooner or later his actions would affect Earth, either directly or indirectly (we only found out about the Infinity Stones a couple of days before our escape), and there were still people I loved there. People like my Aunt Kathryn. And I knew that regardless of how badly things might have gotten in recent years, Loki still loved his brother, and his mother, and he always would. We couldn't just leave them to Thanos's tender mercies, especially when they didn't even know he was coming!

So I held on tight. With all my will I held onto life. I refused to die. When I woke up, three days later, Nebula just looked at me with a mix of exasperation and honest curiosity. Like she couldn't believe I had actually chosen to live, despite what that meant for both me and my love. I later found out that Thanos had killed his latest lieutenant for losing control like that and putting at risk an asset (that being my Maverick, not myself). He never learned of Nebula's involvement.

It was at that point, while my match and I were still exhausted by recent events, that we finally learned of his plans, of the Infinity Stones, and what it was he wanted from my love exactly. He wanted him (us) to lead an invading army to Earth! It didn't matter how he adorned it, whatever sense he thought his plans were supposed to make; we would never have given in. Which of course meant more pain, torture… it was then I came up with my own plan. The sacrifice I was willing to make to keep Thanos from using me against my Maverick (or at least from being as successful at it as he was). Then Gamora surprised us all with her own choice…

We didn't know what exactly we were going to do, at first. Aside from staying out of Thanos's hands we had no plan. We also had no money, and while Gamora had some savings, we didn't want to be a bother. It happened almost accidentally:

We were in some kind of public plaza and I watched some yellow-skinned alien putting away her instruments, she'd been playing something that looked almost like a violin, and it was obvious people liked it; had been listening to her, leaving her coins. People were still there, apparently not ready to leave, even if the performance was over, the musician already gone. And just like that, I was singing before I quite knew what I was doing, putting into words every thought and feeling that had gone through me over the previous year, and especially since our escape:

"I remember tears streaming down your face

When I said, I'll never let you go

When all those shadows almost killed your light

I remember you said 'don't leave me here alone'

But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight"

"Just close your eyes

The sun is going down

You'll be alright

No one can hurt you now

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound"

"Don't you dare look out your window, darling

Everything's on fire

The war outside our door keeps raging on

Hold on to this lullaby

Even when the music's gone"

"Just close your eyes

The sun is going down

You'll be alright

No one can hurt you now

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound"

"Just close your eyes

The sun is going down

You'll be alright

No one can hurt you now

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound"

It was… cathartic. Letting it all out like that. It brought me a peace I hadn't known since the day my Maverick had said his goodbyes, leaving me in my apartment in Vermont to handle things with Thor's coronation. It was in fact until that very moment that I realized how stressed out I'd been, not just while in captivity, but even before that.

People loved my singing, and they immediately offered me money, much like they had the other performer. But more so, one of the males approached and asked if I'd be interested in singing one night at his club. Lux and Gamora approached then, and we got talking, by the evening I'd sang a few more songs, some with Lux accompanying me, either humming or adding her voice to the chorus, and Gamora had signed a contract for us three, we were officially a group of artists known as the Falling Stars. Most didn't understand the reason for the name but… stars are meant to be light, and warmth, and wonderful, and even when they fall, that beauty is still there. I wanted to believe that we were (could be) like those stars, beautiful even on the fall.

And so we became performers, artists. Gamora claimed she was no good singing, but she was very good at dealing with whoever wanted to hire us, make sure they wouldn't pay us any less than we were worth.

We performed several times in the same club, though others also began showing interest. Hiring us for some particular event, or a private party. It was during one of those that we happened to see someone we weren't expecting: the Other. None of us really knew what his name was, exactly; weren't sure he/it had a name at all. At first I was terrified that we might have been found, but as Lux soon discovered, we had nothing to do with its presence; the Other was there to negotiate with our employer about doing business with Thanos. We had no idea what kind of business that could be; we just knew it couldn't be allowed.

Choice made, Lux and I made sure that our performance would be one that would catch every single individual's attention, and keep it. We purposefully chose the most provocative dresses we'd acquired for Lux and myself. Both sheer, with thick embroidery that guaranteed nothing improper could actually be seen; we showed just enough to catch our public's attention, to be provocative without actually giving too much of ourselves. Lux's was a forest green, mine a simpler sand color. Gamora, for her part, was dressed all in leather, weapons at the ready.

That night, while Lux and I sang and danced together, letting just enough or our own sensuality show so as to keep everyone's attention on us; Gamora slipped through the shadows unseen and assassinated the Other, waiting in a room just down a hall, waiting for the end of the party to talk to our employer. It was easy because the Other never saw her coming. Then Gamora got changed and returned back-stage just in time for us to finish. We were gone (from the house, and the planet as a whole) before anyone discovered the corpse.

We never exactly planned on becoming assassins. Though we did know (for the most part) what we were doing. At first it was just Gamora. Whenever she found among the guests (or even just in the building) someone who was known to be either an ally, or to be working with Thanos in any way, she'd wait for our best number, when everyone's attention was on us, and assassinate the individual. Of course, eventually something had to go wrong. Thankfully Lux sensed it just in time to help her, leaving an illusory double with me. Thankfully I could sense the switch and knew what to do to make sure no one would notice the new Lux wasn't casting a shadow. It worked and we managed to get out before we were discovered.

Soon enough the galaxy knew that there was a new assassin around; though somehow, they managed to miss said assassin's connection to us (either that or maybe, just maybe, enough people supported what we were doing that they chose to ignore the connection).

Of course, it was only a matter of time until Gamora got caught, and she did, by the Nova Corps. Though, surprisingly enough, while they did catch her killing a group of Krees who insisted on perpetuating the war despite the truce tentatively agreed on (one of the few hits we did that had nothing to do with Thanos); they still didn't see her connection to the two of us, and she didn't give us up. We all met again a few days later in Knowhere, after a disaster with the Power Stone. She also introduced us to a very colorful bunch she happened to meet while in prison: Drax, a once simple man seeking to murder Ronan the Accuser in revenge for the murder of his wife and daughter; Peter Quill/Star-Lord, a half-human outlaw who worked with the Ravagers most of the time; Rocket Racoon, a genetically engineered creature, turned freelance criminal, and his partner, the tree-like being: Groot.

I was never completely sure how exactly we ended working together, except that we all agreed Ronan was a threat that needed to be eliminated, and Xandar was in danger, something neither of us could just ignore. So we teamed up and, for the first time ever, went against someone openly. It was insane, a lot of people died, but somehow we managed to win, managed to save a world… I hoped we one day would be able to save Earth too.

Also, Thanos found out we were still around, and opposing him. He sent two of his lieutenants after us; Lux and Gamora killed them, though not before we found out why exactly Thanos hadn't seemed so interested in coming after us in all those years. He'd moved on already. A chaos portal had made it possible for him to attack Earth; though apparently the humans also managed to find a way to close the portal on him before too much damage could be done… and he'd managed to lose the one Stone he already had, in the process (I couldn't help but think that it was some sort of karmic justice).

He was still planning to attack Earth, to claim all the Stones, and that was something we couldn't allow. So we began to make a plan to take him out, once and for all.

In the end it was more him coming to us than us going to him, but that was just fine with us. Quill had decided to leave the Orb in Nova Prime's hands, feeling it'd be safer with them. Which is of course why Thanos headed there eventually. Planning on 'picking it up' before heading for Earth and the other Stones. We were warned about what was coming, and managed to make it to Xandar in time.

Surprisingly enough, we had managed to deprive Thanos of enough of his army and allies in the years since our escape, that he opted for a 'peaceful' approach. His intention was to 'ask' for the Stone to be handed over, only attacking if he had to. Something Nova Prime took advantage of, when she insisted on a party to celebrate the visit of 'such a distinguished warlord'.

It was then that my suspicions were confirmed, someone had managed to connect the series of assassinations to the Falling Stars group. They had done nothing because they knew we were killing evil people; and were quite ready to continue turning a blind eye to it all, if we were to rid them of Thanos. Because the Nova Corps wouldn't be handing the Stone over; but objectively they knew they weren't strong enough to take Thanos and his army on.

Of course, as it turned out, Thanos himself knew who we were. Though it wasn't obvious at first. We all gathered in the Feast Hall, where we shared a good meal, and then arrangements were made for a performance. I didn't even have to think about it, knew exactly the ring song for then:

"Does the wolf apologize

When it stands on top?

Does the wolf apologize?

(Does the wolf apologize?)

Should the lion say his grace

When he takes his mark?

Should the lion say his grace

(Should the lion say his grace?)"

"I do what I need to

What I have to

To survive

(To survive)

I do what I need to

What I have to

Well, you can try

To be civilized

But I'm gonna stay alive

Yeah, I'm gonna stay alive

Yeah, I'm gonna stay alive"

"The hurricane knows step aside when it hits the coast

The hurricane knows steps aside, demands control

The mountain won't fall to its knees when the west wind blows

The mountain won't fall to its knees

(The mountain won't fall to its knees)

I do what I need to

What I have to To survive

(To survive)

I do what I need to

What I have to

Well, you can try

To be civilized

But I'm gonna stay alive

But I'm gonna stay alive"

"Yeah, I'm gonna stay alive

(Yeah, I'm gonna stay alive)

(Stay alive)

Closer than a friend, I can be your enemy

Closer than a friend for you to make a remedy

Closer than a friend, I can be your enemy

Closer than a friend for you to make a remedy

(Yeah, I'm gonna stay alive)"

"Closer than a friend, I can be your enemy

Closer than a friend for you to make a remedy

Closer than a friend, I can be your enemy

Closer than a friend for you to make a remedy"

"Does the wolf apologize?

Does the wolf apologize?"

It was as the song reached its end that I realized what the bad feeling I had inside me was: Thanos knew. He knew who and what we were, why we were there. And he was turning the tables on us. Planning to kill two birds with one stone, getting the Orb and destroying us.

Being bonded was very convenient in that moment, for Lux realized the truth at practically the exact same moment I did, and reacted accordingly. We went all out from the start. There was no point in holding back for later on when there was no guarantee there would be a later. Thanos only had two of his lieutenants left, but the chitauri and some sort of insectoids were almost able to overwhelm us through sheer numbers alone. Even the Nova Corps weren't prepared for such a battle. They couldn't have been.

The last female lieutenant took Gamora by surprise, spearing her through, to Star-Lord's horror. He shrieked his denial, pulling out both his guns and shooting at Proxima Midnight time and again until the guns had nothing more to shoot. The lieutenant knocked him down with a hard kick, she was about to kill him, when Yondu got in the way. Quill's cry was such… and there was nothing we could do, the injury was so bad…

"Never surrender kid…" Yondu said with a smirk, ignoring the blood dripping by the edge of her lips. "My son…"

It was such a shock… we'd barely managed to save Yondu during the confrontation with Ego. And in the aftermath Quill had acknowledged he preferred Yondu as his father than Ego any day. It had been a touching moment, especially considering how difficult both men were when it came to expressing their feelings.

"Yondu…" Quill breathed out, tears already spilling down his cheeks.

He didn't even have any time to grieve, not with the battle still raging around us.

Quill acted instinctively, moved by the mix of grief and fury that was so strong in him it was almost creating an aura; he took hold of the nearest weapon, which happened to be Gamora's sword, was moving before Proxima knew what was going on, the sword piercing her from bellow her ribcage and all the way to her head. She was dead before she could attack again.

The big surprise came when Nebula switched sides unexpectedly, killing Corvus Glaive right as he was about to kill Mantis. A move Thanos did not take lightly as he took hold of Nebula and practically ripped her apart with his own hands.

There were so many feelings, so deep, I felt like I was drowning. I was almost losing myself to it all… and it cost me. Lux worked too hard at keeping me safe, and it almost cost her her life. Thanos backhanded her so hard she went flying, before eventually slamming into the ground hard, a pained groan escaping her lips. So much of her magic went to keeping her alive that her body shifted back to his original form, as Lux became Loki before us all. That, if nothing else, showed how bad it was. I could feel his pain as if it were mine, broken ribs, possibly even a damaged spine. I forced myself to push everything else aside as I rushed to his side, dropping to his knees beside him and calling on my gifts to help him.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Thanos mocked. "Little bird… I think it might be time to make you sing again…"

It was too much. Seeing my love like that, feeling his pain, being reminded of everything we'd done before, all we'd barely escaped with our lives. I had a single moment of clarity, where I knew I wouldn't let him take me, take either of us. I'd rather die… then again, I'd already died once, and had brought back something with me he'd never expect.

It was complicated to explain to anyone who hadn't been in such a position, the idea of having been dead, yet not really. I hadn't been dead enough to truly leave behind my body, for my life to fully end; yet had still died enough that certain barriers inside my mind and soul had broken down. I knew things, things I should have never known while alive. Like the fact that I was the reincarnation of Princess Tinúviel of Alfheim and Asgard, Goddess of Compassion, wife of Loki and mother of Helena Miriel. And with that knowledge came the power my old self had once possessed: as an empath and a healer, and just enough magic to grant me the kind of power that had once been behind the greatest legends of my people (the Ljósalfár): the power of the Songstresses… and of the Banshees. Two sides of the same coin, individuals (always women in the legends) who infused their voices with magic and feeling, causing things to happen. The most basic level was the sharing of feelings, which most elves could do, though they mostly only did it when seeking their matches or connecting with family. But the highest level… it was said that Songstresses had had the power to put terrible beings to sleep, to bring hope in the midst of despair, to guide armies into victory. While Banshees… they were the darker side of those gifts, powering their voices through grief and pain rather than love and care; bringing that same darkness upon their enemies; though they ran the risk of losing themselves to those very same shadows, which was why the use of such power was considered the biggest taboo in Alfheim. It was something that no 'true Ljósalfár' would ever consider… but, all things said, I wasn't an elf, hadn't been for a lifetime, and I was pragmatic enough to believe that desperate situations called for desperate measures…

The choice was made in a second, I took a deep breath, opened my mouth, and let out the loudest wail I could. Everyone hurried to cover their ears as best they could, and as bad as I felt for hurting them, I knew I couldn't stop. So instead I focused on Thanos, on hurting him, as my voice kept rising in pitch, until it reached a level a part of me felt should have been impossible. I knew I'd achieved my goal when Thanos dropped on one knee, blood dripping out of every orifice in his face. It was awful.

I stopped as I ran out of breath, yet at the same time I knew it wasn't over yet. The others were too busy doing their best to just hang on, survive the battle that was even then continuing. And my love, while healing as fast as he could… he still couldn't move.

*I believe in you…* He whispered quietly, straight into our bond.

In that moment I knew exactly what I needed to do. So I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and focused all my power, this time on the other side of the metaphorical coin as I began singing:

"The primrose in the sheltered nook

The crystal stream the babbling brook

All these things God's hands have made

For very love of thee"

"Twilight and shadows fall

Peace to His children all

Angels are guarding and they watch o'er thee

As you sleep

May Angels watch over and May they guard o'er thee"

I waited a heartbeat, then two, a part of me wondering if I should have sung it from the beginning rather than only the last two stanzas. And then it happened, Thanos's eyes closed ever so slowly and he fell, like a lug, completely asleep.

"Did you… were you just singing a freaking lullaby?!" Rocket demanded in shock.

The battle was still going on, but quickly ending thanks to a mix of the Nova Corps reinforces finally arriving, and many of our enemies fleeing when seeing the warlord fall.

"I wanted him to sleep." I said for all answer.

"How?" Gamora asked, sitting up with Quill's help.

"I… it's hard to explain." I admitted shyly. "There's a legend among my people. Of the women who could infuse power into their words, into their songs, making things happen. They call them Songstresses. I willed him to sleep and well… the best song to infuse that kind of will into was a lullaby so…"

It made sense, at least in my mind.

Loki laughed, long and hard. And I understood why, the idea that Thanos had been brought down by a child's cradle song was ludicrous at best! Yet it worked. Of course, laughing just made his pain worse, and I couldn't help him much; I'd used so much power in putting Thanos to sleep (it wasn't easy) that I couldn't really heal him. Thankfully the Corps had medics and were more than willing to help us all.

And thus fell Thanos.

He didn't die, not really. It would have been next to impossible for any of us, even all of us together, to truly kill Thanos. But once we were recovered enough Loki wove the strongest chains magic could bear and used them to restrain him, then the Nova Corps sealed him inside a capsule, which the Guardians personally took to the deepest cave inside an abandoned moon in the darkest corner of the galaxy.

It'd be next to impossible for anyone to come across the Mad Titan. And even if they ever did, they'd need Loki's magic and my voice to get him back, which we'd never allow to happen. So, all things told, he wasn't actually dead, but that was actually another layer of protection. As long as the universe believed him dead no one would be looking for him, and that was for the best.

Nebula did not survive. Even with all the help medicine could give, it was impossible. She was satisfied though, that Thanos had been defeated, once and for all. She claimed that to be enough for her to go in peace. Mantis, while mostly unharmed, couldn't handle continuing with us after that battle, the idea of there ever being more pain and death… so instead she chose to leave us and join a peaceful population in another planet, where hopefully she'd never have to feel any negative emotion ever again. I could only hope she'd find the happiness she deserved.

As for the rest of us, we stayed together, kept moving around. I couldn't be sure whose idea it was to travel to Earth exactly; but once we got it into our heads we just couldn't let it go. On the one hand, I really didn't want to go, I was absolutely terrified about what we might find: even being a galaxy away, we'd still heard about the chitauri invasion in 2013. Hard not to, I was quite sure the whole galaxy had heard about it, about the heroes that fought back and, especially, about the woman who found the way to close a chaos portal, thus thwarting Thanos's plans (and how that same woman had gone on to become a goddess and Thor's bride and queen). In 2015 the Convergence, even though it didn't affect us at all, was topic of conversation everywhere for a variety of reasons: from Malekith's return, the Aether, yet again Jane Foster, the Allfather's death, and finally the coronation of Thor Krighammer and Jane Svanhvit as the new King and Queen of the Realm Eternal.

There had been no more big news since then; or at least, nothing aside from rumors about other Infinity Stones having surfaced on Earth. It was those rumors that had prompted Thanos to decide to lead his army there himself; and then everything that had happened in Xandar.

We made it to Earth on the summer of 2020; nine years after being literally ripped out of my world, out of my very bed, by Thanos's lieutenants. I was terrified. As was my love. While we were relatively sure of both Thor's and Lady Frigg's well-being, that didn't mean they'd be welcoming, of either of us. Also, I wasn't even sure I dare go looking for Aunt Kathryn. What if she was dead? What if it was somehow my fault? I suspected my dad was dead, even though I couldn't know for sure, I'd had a dream years prior and… I just felt it was true, he was gone. And while that had pained me… I hurt more at the thought of losing what we might have had, than what we'd actually been to each other. Sad as it might be, my father and I hadn't been that close for a very long time. Aunt Kathryn, on the other hand, was an entirely different matter. She was the closest thing I'd had to a mother. Not to make my mum less, because I loved her, I always would (the lullaby I'd used against Thanos was the very same she'd sing for me when I was an infant, I'd learned it through a recording my father had made of her one night); but Kathryn was the one who raised me, who was there for me my whole life… until my abduction. I knew it must have hurt her, returning home after a double-shift and finding me gone, no trace to give even the slightest clue of where I'd gone, or what had even happened to me. And it had been nine years!

xXx

Because our luck is messy at the best of times, we came across some trouble just inside the Sol System. Apparently Thanos had sent some scouts ahead. None of them were the kind of creatures that could get through the atmosphere and attack Earth, which was a good thing. They were still able to attack us. We defeated them, of course. With everything we'd been through in the years we'd been a team the ship had had more than enough modifications to allow us to fight when needed. Also, Lux's magic (while everyone knew the truth about my love, she still chose to keep the cover identity she'd crafted for herself when we'd first gone on the run) helped a lot.

We won, though the Milano still suffered some damage, resulting on a somewhat forced landing. At least we'd been able to find a location bare enough for us not to hurt anyone or damage anything. Then we waited. I knew SHIELD would be coming sooner or later.

It still took us by surprise when the boy in the blue sweatshirt, pants and sneakers dashed inside the ship, immediately looking around. He didn't even pay any mind when Drax and Gamora reacted instinctively to his sudden presence by pulling out their respective blades. I only felt curious, there was something about the boy that pulled at me.

*My Nightingale?* Lux asked softly inside our bond.

*That boy… he's connected to me, to us, somehow.* I explained quietly. *Though I cannot begin to fathom how.*

It was true, and I knew he could feel it too. The pull. Almost the same kind of pull I'd once felt towards Peter. The poor boy, during the whole mess with Ego he'd looked so lost, and it pulled at my heartstrings, feeling the need to help him somehow. In the end it hadn't been necessary, Yondu had been there for him. And afterwards when we'd lost both Yondu and Nebula to Thanos and his minions, he'd had Gamora, the two of them laying on each other to move past the grief; allowing that to strengthen their relationship in a way nothing else could have.

The speedster, he was different. We didn't know him at all, it was until hours later that we even learned he was one of the Avengers: Quicksilver, born Pietro Maximoff. We'd never seen him before, yet he was somehow connected to us. I knew that with the same surety I knew that whatever else might happen, we'd be getting our families back.

We were asked to wait a few hours, offered food and a place to rest, while people gathered to listen to our story. Quill thought it would be a good idea, so we agreed.

"Silbhé…?" When the name was first called I paid it no mind. It'd been so long since I'd connected it to myself that I just didn't register it at all. And then it came again: "Silbhé!"

While I still didn't quite understand the significance of the name, I did recognize the voice, it was enough to make me turn, coming face to face with a woman in her fifties, blue-gray eyes, short blonde hair streaked with gray, in sturdy brown pants, ankle-boots, and a light-colored airy top with flower print on the sleeves.

"Aunt Kathryn!" The words passed my lips before I could fully comprehend them.

Embracing her was automatic, instinctive. There was one of the three most important people in my life (the other two being my match and daughter).

"I missed you so much…" I admitted even as tears began falling down my eyes.

"You're alive…" Kathryn gasped as she held me tightly. "Thank the spirits, you're alive!"

We held each other for a very long time, refusing to let go. Enough that others began demanding explanations of some kind.

"Just what the hell is going on here?" Former Director Fury (who'd actually arrived with my aunt) demanded in an authoritative tone. "Katharine…"

"This is my niece." Kathryn explained with a bright smile.

"Your niece is dead." Fury retorted, way too blunt for my tastes.

"She went missing." Kathryn corrected.

"Nine years ago." Fury reminded her, more kindly than I expected from him. "She must have been declared dead two years ago at the latest."

"I didn't allow it." Kathryn stated evenly "I knew she was alive." She noticed the look in his eyes. "No, she never contacted me. You know I'd have told you if she had. I just… she's the closest thing I have to a daughter Nicholas. I would have known if she were dead."

"If she was alive why did she never get in contact with you, or with anyone?" Fury hissed.

"You know, I'm standing right here, you can ask me those things." I stated in a no-nonsense tone. "As for that question… I didn't really have the means. No phones, no computers, nothing."

"Not even a telegram, a letter?" Fury arched a brow.

"I think it'd have been hard to find someone willing to carry such a message, considering we were in another galaxy." I deadpanned.

It was clear he wasn't expecting that. Somehow, despite the fact that he and Aunt Kathryn had been called to the place to listen to a story from a bunch of space-travelers, it had never occurred to them to consider that I might be one of said travelers.

"It's a long story." I shrugged a bit helplessly.

"One we're here to hear, from what I understand." King T'Challa from Wakanda stated as he too joined the growing group.

"As soon as Thor and Jane get here." Captain Rogers nodded.

Lux and I just turned to look at each other in silence, wondering how that particular meeting would turn out…

It would take a while for them to arrive, and then Pietro began insisting that we sing something. We just turned to look at each other. It was obvious the Avengers and agents were all curious about the comments concerning our status as artists, and it wouldn't exactly be hardship. What I wasn't expecting was when my love chose to sing. It wasn't that she'd never done it, because she did; but most of the time I was the main singer. Lux being too private a person to express herself in such a way often (because it didn't matter how aloof we tried to be, when it came to singing the truth tended to come out: thoughts, feelings, the whole thing). Still, it was obvious she wanted to do it, needed to, so I just nodded. We didn't even need to make a plan, we were so in sync, it was only a matter of looking at each other for a few seconds and we knew exactly what to do. So I began humming, shaping the melody ever so slowly, and when the time came, Lux sang:

"I'm scared of what's inside my head
What's inside my soul
I feel like I'm running, but getting nowhere
Fear is suffocating me,

I can't breath
I feel like I'm drowning, I'm sinking deeper"

"White light fades to red
As I enter the city of the dead"

"Rex tremendae majestatis (King of tremendous majesty)
Qui salvandos salvas gratis (Who free salvation sends us)
Salve me, fons pietatis (Save me, source of piety)
Salve me, fons pietatis (Save me, source of piety)"

"I feel it burning through my veins
It's driving me insane
The fever is rising, I'm going under
Memories flash before my eyes
I'm losing time
The poison is killing me, taking over"

"White light fades to red
As I enter the city of the dead"

"Quantus tremor est futurus (How much fear man's bosom renders)
Quando judex est venturus (When the judge descends)
Quantus tremor est futurus (How much fear man's bosom renders)
Quando judex est venturus (When the judge descends)"

"Damnata, invisus ubique (Damned, hated, everywhere)
Ab omnibus, ad infinitum (By everyone, forever)!"

The Latin was something we'd never done with any other song, yet it felt right for that one, and we were both fluent enough. I didn't do much, only aiding in the chorus and to emphasize verses as needed. It went well.

So invested were we in the song, we didn't really notice when our missing visitors arrived: King Thor and Queen Jane, accompanied by Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, serving as their personal guard. The moment we became aware of it though, we all reacted instinctively. I stepped closer to my love, as close as I could without being upon her, my right hand tracing the edge of my battle-dress, just over where I kept the biggest of my throwing knives, just in case. And it wasn't even just me, our whole team had reacted in unison, though trying their best not to be too obvious, ready to fight at a moment's notice.

Quill handled the introductions on our side, carefully making sure not to call undue attention to any of us. He didn't even mention the Falling Stars, as if even that might have been too much (nevermind that we'd just finished singing and there was no way the Asgardians hadn't caught at least the tail-end of that performance… though I instinctively knew they'd gotten to hear and see a lot more than that). Star-Lord might have been human, and so very young (he might have been older than me, yet my experiences made it so I couldn't help but feel so much older).

Even with the disguise I knew there was no way Thor wouldn't know my love. Oblivious as he might be at times, he couldn't be that blind… I was right.

"Brother…" Thor breathed out the moment the introductions were over.

For a heartbeat or two no one said a word. On our side we were all tense, waiting to see what we'd be dealing with exactly. And on theirs… I was quite sure the humans had no idea who Thor was talking to exactly, or what he meant.

"Brother please…" Thor insisted. "I know it to be you. Helena told me you were alive and I've prayed for years that one day we might meet again. That I might get the chance to see you, to ask your forgiveness for all the things I did wrong. For letting you fall that day…"

"Fool…" Lux scoffed, a facade of disdain fixed on both her face and voice. "It wasn't your choice to make. It was I who let go."

"I should have stopped you." Thor insisted.

"There's nothing you could have done to stop me." She pressed in turn.

"Then I should have fallen with you!" Thor practically snapped.

By then he was so close, he was practically in my love's personal space. There was so much emotion in him, so many different ones, though most could be comprised into one: love, deep, absolute, unflinching love. I smiled, unable to help myself, taking a step back right in time for Thor to throw his arms around my love in a tight embrace. I'd never know if what followed was intentional, instinctive or completely accidental, but even as Thor held on, my love's magic ran over him, washing away Lux's form to leave Loki instead. The clothes weren't too different, the same combination and basic style, though clearly designed for a man. His hair was somewhat shorter, but his eyes were exactly the same. What differences there might be in body had never mattered much to me, whatever the body, that was still my match, my love, and Thor's sibling. I was gratified to see that he shared my perspective on that.

"Let me go, you oaf!" Loki called in a forced-harsh voice when a bit too much time passed. "I said to let me go!"

"I won't." Thor refused, holding tighter. "It's been so long brother. I believed you dead for years! Mourned you…"

"And who exactly set you right?" Loki inquired, brow arched.

"I did, ada." A female voice called from the side.

It was Helena, with her match by her side.

"Cala amin (my light)…" I breathed out, so overwhelmed I didn't even notice when I spoke in elvish instead of English.

"Nana…" A tear fell down Helena's cheek even as she threw herself into my arms.

"Just… what the hell is going on here?" Stark demanded, he clearly didn't like not knowing.

I actually understood, in our positions, not knowing things could get us killed. Even then, I wasn't about to enable his childish demands and near-tantrums.

"Eos told you it was a long story." My love pointed out in a drawl.

"Longer than you, any of you, can imagine." I added for good measure.

It was, truly, a hell of a long story, two lifetimes worth when it came to me. And while we didn't go into that much detail, not of my life as Tinúviel (just enough for them to understand who I'd been and why it was important), and especially not of the centuries between my two incarnations. We focused mostly on what had happened since Thor's coronation. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that Thor himself agreed with Loki, he hadn't been ready for the throne back then; they both regretted the fight on the rainbow bridge, and the consequences. We didn't into much detail regarding our torture, not wanting those who loved us to feel bad about it (I was guiltily thankful that Nebula wasn't there to crassly reveal things). Even then they felt bad for us.

"It was worth it." I muttered, mostly to myself, once the story was over.

"What…?!" It was clear no one was expecting that.

"You cannot possibly mean that." Darcy shook her head.

"I can." I insisted. "I'm not saying I'd be eager to do it again… but think about all we achieved. Not just killing Thanos, but his lieutenants, his army. If we hadn't been there to do so… what would have happened? Think about Xandar, the Nova Corps, all who would have died trying and failing to keep the Orb from Thanos's hands. And then when they came here…" I shook my head grimly. "Obviously I did not enjoy it, but I still think it was worth it, for all the lives we saved. How we managed to keep those we love safe."

Beside me, my match nodded. I knew he understood. As terrible as much of it might have been, it was worth it in the end. It was impossible to know what might yet come, but I'd rather believe that all the hardships had been worth it in the end, rather than cursing a past I couldn't change.

So... I really, really hope you liked this.

Regarding Thanos's fall in this piece (don't read this if you haven't read the story!), it was inspired by a chapter in the Silmarillion (written by J.R.R. Tolkien), where Lúthien and Beren go against Melkor and she sings and dances for him, intending to distract him and allow Beren to take one of the Silmarils (the jewels) from his crown, eventually she puts him to sleep with a spell shaped by her singing and dancing. From the very beginning Nightingale's gift as a 'Songstress' has been based in Lúthien and that particular talent of hers, so it seemed fitting for this piece to be a nod to that. Of course, none of this will really matter to most, but I wanted to explain it anyway.

As always, full-sized poster/cover and set of wallpapers in DeviantArt.

Next AU will be coming in three weeks, and if you want an idea of what it'll be about... It's actually in answer to a request though, to be honest I cannot remember who made it, or when. I was asked for an AU where Loki and Nightingale stayed on Earth after 1992 and raised Daisy themselves instead of leaving for Vanaheim, and I decided to write it. Hope you'll enjoy it, in the end, it'll all about family...